Yet after two phone calls with Putin, Biden remained convinced that face-to-face talks were the only adequate venue to truly engage the notoriously truculent leader. And after more than 40 years spent watching other presidents determine American foreign policy, it was finally his decision to make. Putin, Biden has told his team, will respond only to strength and honesty. Biden planned his trip to highlight traditional American alliances after four years of strain under President Donald Trump. When he becomes the 13th American president to meet Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday at Windsor Castle, they will be able to compare notes on the eight he's met himself.

Source: CNN June 09, 2021 03:56 UTC